Turkey and Russia Resume Joint Patrols in Northern Syria
Turkey and Russia have restarted joint military patrols in northern Syria after a year-long pause. The operation aims to ensure border security and identify Kurdish YPG structures in the region.
On August 24, 2024, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced the resumption of joint military patrols with Russia in northern Syria, marking the end of a nearly year-long hiatus. These operations are taking place in the Operation Peace Spring area, a 30-kilometer deep strip of land along the Turkey-Syria border between Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn.
This territory, spanning a portion of the 911-kilometer Turkey-Syria border, was captured from Kurdish fighters by Turkish and allied Syrian forces in 2019. The renewed patrols come as Ankara seeks to improve its relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been in power since 2000 and receives support from Moscow.
The joint patrols initially began in November 2019, with 344 operations conducted until their suspension in October 2023. The first resumed patrol took place on August 22, 2024, involving 24 Turkish personnel in four vehicles at the eastern end of the Operation Peace Spring area.
The Turkish Defense Ministry stated that these patrols aim to:
- Ensure the security of Turkey's borders
- Protect the civilian population in the region
- Establish stability in northern Syria
- Identify checkpoints, headquarters, and military structures of Kurdish fighters known as the YPG
The YPG, formed in 2004, is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey due to its links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK, founded in 1978, has been engaged in a 40-year insurgency against Ankara, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties.
Interestingly, the United States partnered with the YPG in 2014 to combat the Islamic State group in Syria. This alliance has led to tensions between NATO allies Turkey and the US, highlighting the complex dynamics in the region. The US-led intervention in Syria against ISIL began in September 2014, while Russia's military involvement in the Syrian Civil War started in 2015.
The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, has drawn various international actors into the conflict. Turkey has conducted several military operations in Syria since 2016, while the Russian military intervention began on September 30, 2015. These interventions have significantly impacted the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, established in 2016.
As Turkey and Russia resume their joint patrols, the situation remains complex. Assad has expressed willingness to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has held office since 2014, but only to discuss the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria and the cessation of Ankara's support for Syrian fighters that Damascus considers terrorists.
The resumption of these patrols underscores the ongoing challenges in the region and the delicate balance of power among various actors involved in the Syrian conflict. As the situation continues to evolve, the international community watches closely, hoping for a resolution that brings stability to this war-torn area.
